Indian Museum of North America at Crazy Horse Memorial (SD) [1]
When you hear the word 'museum' do dust-covered artifacts spring to mind? The museums along America's Byways® have much more to offer you! From Indian culture to mining, from toys to railroads, the museums along America's Byways give you the opportunity not just to learn about the past, but to celebrate it!
America's Byways are full of opportunities to learn about the cultures and events that make up their past. In western states, no era is more celebrated than the American West, made evident by the many museums dedicated to preserving its importance. Be sure to plan time to visit the Hubbard Museum of the American West along the Billy the Kid Trail in New Mexico, which chronicles the significance of the horse in the American West. History buffs will want to soak in the Indian Museum of North America. Or find fascinating treasures celebrating the earliest civilizations in the West, such as real-scale teepees and original native dress on the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway in South Dakota!
Sometimes the history of a Byway is directly tied into the industry that created the communities along the roads. Often, the Byways were created for the purpose of connecting mining and logging towns. Learn about the industries that settled many of these areas in the many museums dedicated to them, such as mining, logging, fur trading, or railroads. The National Mining Hall of Fame in Leadville, Colorado, located on the Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway, is one of the many excellent museums that pay tribute to the industry that was significant to the development of an area. Touch mineral samples, view dioramas documenting the evolution of technology in mining, and experience first-hand what it is like to spend time in the pitch black darkness of a mine by walking through the museum's underground replica of a silver mine.
Families will also find fun and education at many of the museums located along the Byways. The Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling, West Virginia is right on the Historic National Road and will fascinate old and young alike as visitors learn through play. The Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, Missouri on the Crowley's Ridge Parkway is another museum that families with children of all ages can enjoy. The museum gives kids to chance to shop at a grocery store, build a house at a construction site, and explore the world of math, science, and the arts with hands-on activities.
No matter what your interests, America's Byways have hundreds of museums that are more than just places you have to whisper - they are full of interactive ways to connect with the past or learn something new.
